Bottle-sealing machine.



No. 572,671. Patented Apr. 23, IQUI.

H. T. GAY. BOTTLE SEALING MACHINE (Application filed Och. 4, 1900.)

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BUTTLE SEALING MACHINE.

(Application filed Oct. 4, 1900,)

2 Sheets-- Sheet 2 (Nu Modem UNITED STATES ATENT FFIGE.

HERMAN T. GAY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BOTTLE-SEALING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 672,671, dated April23, 1901.

Application filed October 4, 1900. Serial No. 31,961. (No model.) I

To ctZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, HERMAN T. GAY, of the city of Baltimore, in theState of Maryland, have invented certain Improvements in Bottle-SealingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved machine for securing within abottle-mouth a sealing device of the character shown and described in myapplication originally filed on the 26th day of August, 1898, underSerial No. 689,551, and renewed on the 2d day of April, 1900, underSerial No. 11,261, to which reference should be made. By reference tothe said application it will be seen that the said sealing device orplug consists of a sheetmetal flanged disk having stamped or drawntherefrom a downwardly-projecting extension, over which is placed a corksealinggasket.

The bottle which is adapted to receive the above briefly-describedsealing device has a mouth which is considerably larger in diameter thanthe throat, in which is formed an annular seat for the gasketedsealing-plug, and immediately above the said seat is an annular groove,into which the flange of the sealing-plug is expanded or distended tohold the sealing device in place after the compression of its jointforming gasket. The office of the present machine is therefore tocompress the cork gasket between the annular seat in the bottle and theunder side of the sealing-plug and while the device is so held to expandthe flange of the disk to hold the gasketed plug firmly in place.

In the further description of the said invention which follows referenceis made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and inwhich Figure 1 is a partly sectional side elevation of the improvedmachine. Fig. 2 is an exterior front view. Fig. 3 is a perspectivecentral section of the principal parts of the sealing-head of themachine, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4: is a top View of Fig. 3. Figs. 5,6, 7, 8, and 9 are details of the machine. Fig. 10 is a sectional sideview of a bottle-head and its sealing-plug, on an enlarged scale.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that the stand of themachine is constructed of columnal form and in two sections Passinglaterally through the lower 1 and 2.

section 2 is the driving-shaft 3, having a crank 4c, the pin 5 of whichis central of the stand. Within the upper section 1 of the frame is avertically-sliding sleeve 6, having at its upper end the branch 7,carrying the sealing-head, which as an entirety is denoted by 8. 9 is abar inclosed within and adapted to slide vertically of the sleeve 6,having at its lower end a collar 10 and below the collar an eye 11,which is connected to the crank-pin 5 bythe rod 12. The upper end of thebar 9 is threaded and provided with the cylindrical nut 13, which isfitted to slide in the sleeve 6. Confined endwise between the under sideof the nut 13 and a shoulder 1%, formed in the sleeve 6, is a coiledspring 15. With this construction when the crank is performing itsdownward stroke the sleeve carrying the head Sis drawn down by thecompression of the coiled spring 15 through the medium of the bar 9 andthe connectingrod 12. The return movement of the head is effected by theextension of the coiled spring 15 in the upward stroke of the crank-pin5.

The sealing-head 8 consists of the inner cylindrical shell 16, held tothe branch 7 by the eXteriorly-threaded hollow plug 17, having theenlargement 18, which fits over the upper end of the said innercylindrical shell and is secured by set-screws 19 or by any other means.

20 is the outer cylindrical shell, adapted to slide longitudinally ofthe inner one 16, having the flaring lips 21. The outward movement ofthe outer cylindrical shell 20 is lim ited by the screws 22, which passthrough slots 23 in the outer cylindrical shell, as shown particularlyin Fig. 3.

Coiled about the inner cylindrical shell 16 and confined endwise betweena collar 24 and the end of the outer cylindrical shell is a coiledspring 25, which is normally extended.

Within the inner cylindrical shell 16, with their lower ends projectingbelow the contracted portion of the mouth of the outer cylindricalshell, are expansible jaws 26., one of which is shown in Figs. 5 and 6,which are respectively a perspective view of a jaw as seen from theinside and a side View of the same. The jaws are segmental in shape, asseen from the top orbottom, (see Fig. l, which is a top view of Fig. 3,)and their upper ends have lateral projections which extend over theupper edge of the inner cylindrical shell to support them, as shownparticularly in- Fig. 3. The jaws as a body fit loosely in the innercylindrical shell 16, and they may therefore be expanded,,for a purposehereinafter described. The lower ends of the segmental jaws 26 arehooked and together form a distensible button 27 for expanding theflange of the sealing-plug in the annular groove in the bottle-mouth ina manner hereinafter described.

28 is a stem with a conical end 29 inclosed within the body of segmentaljaws, and 30 a cylindrical opening into which the point of theconeenters. (See Fig. 3.) It will be seen that if the stem 28 is pushed downfrom its normal position (shown in Fig. 3) the lower ends of the jaws 26will be distended, and should the button 27, formed by theirhooked ends,rest in a closely-fitting sealing-plug the flange of the same will beexpanded.

31 31 are spiral springs confined in holes 32 in the inner cylindricalshell 16 of the head 8, which serve to yieldingly hold the bolts againstthe outer surface of the segmental jaws. 26. These springs are normallyinactive and are only'further compressed when undue resistance isoffered to the distention of the button 27 at the end of the jaws, ashereinafter described.

The extreme ends of the jaws 26, which form the button 27, close on theshank 34 of a disk 35. (Shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 7.) This diskis made of some hard smooth material, such as steel, and the endsofthe'jaws in their distention in the sealing operation rub against theupper surface of g the disk instead of the inner surface of thecomparatively soft sealing-plug,which would abraid it.

The upper end of the stem 28 is hinged to a. lever 36, fulcrumed to anarm 37, extending from the branch 7. (See particularly Fig.

1.) The free end of the lever 36 is attached to a lug 39 on the slidingsleeve 6 by means of a spiral spring 40, and the lower end of the saidspring is provided with an adjusting thumb-nut 41 for regulating thetension on the lever.

43 is a set-screw which passes through the lever 36 and bears againstthe upper end of thebar 9.

which are grouped together and at equal distances from the center of thestand. This uniformity in position of the bottles, which are denoted by45, with reference to the center of the stand is effected by the spacingand centering device 47, a top view of which is shown in Fig, 8.

It will be understoodthat the center of the bottle-stand 44 has suchrelation to the center of. the head 8 that byturning the stand aroundany bottle thereon may be brought directly under the head.

The bottle-stand is secured to the upper on of the shaft 49, whichpasses through the hub of a beveled spur pinion-wheel 51,hereinafterreferred to, which hub is adapted to rotate in the bracket50, projecting from the lower section 2 of the stand of the machine. Thebeveled spur pinion-wheel just referred to is seated on a feather 52 onthe shaft 49, which passes loosely through a bracket 53, extendingfromthe section 2 of the stand, and is threaded and providedwith a nut 54 inthe form of ahand-wheeland a locking-nut 55. By means of the saidhand-wheel the position. of the bottle-stand may be adjusted to suitbottles differing in height.

56 is a master beveled gear-wheel arranged to turn loosely on the stud58, with its teeth in mesh with those of the pinion 51, andon the. hubof the wheel 56 is a ratchet-disk 59, which is shown dotted in Fig. 2and fully in 60 is an arm loose on the stu'd58, carrying a spring-heldpawl61, with'its end resting ion the teeth of the ratchet-disk 59. (SeeFig. 9.)v The end of the arm 60 is connected by the rod62 to the pin63'of'thecrank 64, se-

curedto the end' of thed'riving-shafjt 3. Conl'seqnently at eachrevolution'of the shaft 3 third of a' revolution and abottle' is broughtI directly und'erthe head 8.

Supposing the various parts ofthe' machine 1 to be in the relativepositions shown in the 1 drawings and the bottle-stand provided withthree bottles, with. sealing plugs seated loosely in their mouths,the-sealing operation I is as follows: During the down ward. stroke i ofthe crank 4 the head 8 is pulled down untilit passesv over thebottle-head beneath it, the distensible button of the combined jaws ientering the sealing-plug andiforci'ng'it down, so as to compress thecork gasket tightly in 5 contact with the annular seat in-the bottlelmouth. When the proper pressure to effect ithisresult is obtained, thedownward rn'ovei ment of the head-is stopped, and the spring 15, whichhas been somewhat compressed in- 44 is a stand adapted to hold threebottles the operation, is further compressed, but ini operatively. Themovement of the bar 9 subsequent to the stoppage of the head8is, 2however, availed of to set out or expand the f1ange of the sealing-pluginto the annular groove in the bottle-mouth in the 'following manner:When the head 8stops and the bar 9 continues its downward course, theupper i end of the said bar is. drawnfrom the screw 1 43, and the lever36, being then unsupported, is forced down by the action of the spiralspring 40 and the stem 28 driven between the lower ends of the jaws 26.The jaws are thus spread apart, and the button 27, formed by their ends,expanded, which effects the required expansion of the flange of thesealingplug in the annular groove in the bottlemouth, a result which isaccomplished while the cork gasket is held in a compressed condition. Inthe return or upward movement of the crank 4 the head 8 is lifted fromthe sealed bottle and the bottle-stand rotated onethird of a completerevolution, which brings a new unsealed bottle under the said head, andthe sealing operation just described is repeated.

I Should the diameter of the annular groove in the bottle-mouth beconsiderably smaller than that prearranged for or one which would likelycause the breakage of thebottle-neck in the distention of the flange ofthe sealingplug, the upper ends of the jaws will move outward, thusreducing the degree of distention of the button, as will be readilyunderstood.

I claim as my invention 1. In a machine for expanding a sealingplug ofsubstantially the character described, in the mouth of a bottle andcompressing a joint-forming gasket between the said plug and a seatformed in the bottle-mouth, a verticallymoving head comprising a centralstem with a conical end, a system of disten sible jaws arranged radiallyaround the said stem so as to inclose it, and terminating at their lowerends in segments of a distensible button, independent and separatespringsupported devices which are applied to the said segmen tal jawsexteriorly thereof, whereby the jaws are held to the central stem with ayielding pressure, and which admit of the outward radial movement of thesaid jaws at either end thereof, and means to force the said stemdownward independently of the said jaws, to effect the distention of thesaid button, substantially as specified.

2. In a machine for expanding a sealingplug of substantially thecharacter described, within the month of a bottle and compressing ajoint-forming gasket between the under side of the sealing-plug and aseat for the same formed within the bottle, a vertically-moving headcomprising a central stem having a pointed end, a system of segmentaljaws arranged radially around the said stem, the said jaws terminatingat their lower end in segments of a distensible button, independent andseparate spring-supported devices which are applied to the saidsegmental jaws exteriorly thereof, whereby the jaws are held to the saidcentral stem with a yielding pressure, and which admit of an outwardradial V movementof the said jaws at either end thereof, means to effectthe joint downward movement of the head and jaws, together with thecentral stem, and other means to ef feet the independent downward motionof the said central stem whereby the said jaws are distended and thebutton increased in diameter, substantially as specified.

3. In a machine for affixing within a bottle-mouth a distensiblesealing-plug consisting of a flanged disk, a downwardly-moving headhaving the following elements in. combination, viz., an innercylindrical shell carrying a central stem with a conical end, a systemof jaws arranged exteriorly of the said stem, the said jaws terminatingat their lower end in segments of a distensible button, an outercylindrical shell adapted to slide longitudinallyof the inner one, acoiled spring on the inner cylindrical shell, confined endwise betweenthe upper edge of the outer shell and a collar on the inner one, thesaid outer shell having flaring lips which serve to guide the bottle tobe sealed within the head, and radially-extending spring-held boltswhich yieldingly sustain the upper ends of the jaws against distentionand means to effect the independent downward movement of the centralstem independently of the jaws and thereby distend them, substantiallyas specified.

4:. In a machine for expanding the flange of a sealing-disk within abottle-mouth, the combination of a central stem, a system of segmentaljaws which at their lower ends form a distensible button, and means toseparate radially the said jaws to elfect such distention, a disksituated under and in contact with the said button and a supporting-stemfor the said disk which is inclosed by the said jaws, substantially as,and for the purpose specified.

5. In a machine for expanding the flange of a sealing-disk within themouth of a bottle, a series of segmental jaws terminating collectivelyin a distensible button at their lower ends, means to effect thedistention or separation of the said jaws, a stem inclosed within or bythe portion of the jaws forming the button, and a disk connected to thelower end of the said stem, substantially as, and for the purposespecified.

6. In a machine for securing a sealing-plug in a bottle-mouth, thefollowing elements in combination, viz., a stand, a driving-shaftcarrying a crank, a sealinghead which is vertically reciprocated fromthe said crank, a rotary bottle-stand attached to the upper end of ashaft, a beveled pinion-wheel on the said vertical shaft, ahorizontally-extending stud projecting from the stand, a masterbevelwheel adapted to turn loosely on the said stud and in mesh with thesaid pinion, a ratchetdisk secured to the said master-wheel, an armloose on the said stud, a pawl on the said arm adapted to engage withthe teeth of the ratchetdisk, a crank on the end of the drivingshaft anda rod to connect the pin of the second crank with the end of the saidarm, whereby an intermittent rotation of the said bottlestand iseffected in the rotation of the main driving-shaft, substantially asspecified.

HERMAN T. GAY.

Witnesses:

WM. T. HOWARD, OREGON MILTON DENNIS.

